To Make Me Happy
Ch.18: Action
Catspaw waited a moment for Arianna to calm down after the guard had left. She sat with her back turned to him and her arms crossed over her chest.
He cleared his throat and slowly, as he began speaking, he made his way around her.
"Arianna, I know that you have been unhappy here. And I know that this is hard for you. But I have a bit of a proposal for you. What if I were to tell you that I could take you outside?"
He saw her ears perk up a split second before her head shot up. She looked at him. "You…you could really do that?"
Catspaw's eyes grew large. "I didn't know you spoke anything other than Elfish." She shrugged her shoulders.
"I never wanted anyone to know. But I pick up fast. Miranda is the only other person that knows."
He shook his head, determined not to act as startled as he felt. "Well, it was Miranda who gave me the idea. I can remove the spell, and take you outside. We can have a picnic. But it would only be for a few hours. After that, if you behave well, we could possibly take a monthly trip or so above ground."
Arianna's eyes grew to the size of saucers and Catspaw swore he could see unshed tears. "I would behave! I promise! Just please take me outside! Please!" His heart almost broke for the pleading in her voice. So he sat about removing the spell that kept her from the outside.
Xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo
Miranda sat, wringing her hands in her lap. The king and his wife should be back at any moment. She was eager to know how the trip went. She had been excited ever since she woke up that morning. There was only a small fear that the plan wouldn't go over so well.
But she was sure it would. Arianna would probably do anything to be able to go above ground again.
Finally, after another thirty minutes of waiting, there was a knock on the door. Miranda jumped to her feet and ran to the door, flinging it wide open. A guard was on the other side.
"Mam, the king requests your presence." Miranda nodded eagerly and stepped out of the room, a little bounce in her step as she followed the guard down the hall. The guard knocked on the door and there was an immediate "Come in."
As the guard held open the door, she skipped into the room and spotted Catspaw near the window. His back was to her. He didn't turn around. Now, Miranda' heart began to stutter. Many questions were swarming through her head.
'Did it go bad?' 'Did he say something to make her mad?' 'Did she do something?' Finally, after a few seconds, she cleared her throat.
Catspaw turned around and she swore she saw a faint glow to his cheeks, but there was no smile. She cleared her throat again.
"Well?" He gave her a blank look.
"Well what?"
Miranda sighed in exasperation. Then she saw a faint smile gracing his lips. He was only teasing her.
"How did it go?" she all but yelled. Catspaw shrugged his shoulders in nonchalance.
"Oh, I suppose it went well. I took her outside, we had a nice picnic, she loved it, the end."
Miranda grinned. "She loved it?" Catspaw nodded his head and grinned back. "She loved it."
Miranda squealed in delight. 'I'm so glad! I just knew this would work!" He nodded his head in agreement.
"She loved in so much, when we first got outside, she cried. Took her a while to calm down enough that we could start lunch." He grinned. "She was so overwhelmed she even let me hold her." Miranda smiled as a far away dreamy look graced the happy king's features.
"Miranda, I can't thank you enough for what you've done. This has really been a turn around for her. She asked about you several times."
"Well I'm only glad that I could help. Where is she now?"
"In our bedroom resting. She exhausted."
Miranda nodded her head. "Well tell her I said hello. And to come have tea with me sometimes."
Catspaw nodded his head again and a tear escaped from the corner of his eye and down his cheek.
"I really can't thank you enough for all you've done."
Miranda stepped forward and wrapped him in a hug. "It's nothing to help a friend." She let him go and gave him a big smile before leaving and returning to her own quarters to wait for her husband.
END CHAPTER
Sorry once again for the long wait and I hope to update a little sooner next time! Much love! And btw, sorry it's so short, but I really wanted to get something out to let you guys know that I haven't abandoned my story.